Recreational punching bags have been in use for many years. More recently, manufacturers have been including sensors and electronic devices to detect and visually/audibly register strikes of particular targets on the punching bag. A typical boxing system of this type provides punching pads disposed on some structure for hand and/or foot punch by a user. Sensors are connected to the pads for detecting strikes, and a controller is coupled to each sensor. A display may also be provided to output video and audio, e.g., for strike training, or providing quantitative feedback of actual strike results to the pads. These systems may be integral to the punching bag or supported in other structures that are mounted on the bag. Control electronics in or associated with these systems also may suitably programmed or adapted to interact (e.g., via WiFi or Bluetooth) with connected computers or mobile devices, and training sessions may be gamified, e.g., by integrating music, lighting, and other interactive content.
An alternative to the above are so-called “virtual reality” (VR) systems, which systems provide immersive boxing-like environments using handheld controllers held in both hands. A typical VR system includes a head-mounted display (HMD), a forward-looking camera coupled to the HMD, and one or more hand-held controllers that are communicatively-coupled to the HMD. A hand-held controller typically includes one or more user-input keys, a grip, an outward-facing surface coupled to the grip, and illumination sources mounted on or embedded in the outward-facing surface of the controller. The forward-looking camera detects light reflected or emitted by the illumination sources. In operation, the HMD uses the forward-looking camera to detect movement of the illumination sources by tracking positions of light reflected or emitted to model actions of the user's hand(s) in the virtual-reality system. Thus, e.g., the camera may detect various movements of the hand-held controller, such as punching movements, throwing movements, hitting movements when playing a sport, and the like. Motions of the hand-held controller correspond to various commands such that the motions are transferred into actions in the virtual reality system. A commercial VR system of this type is the Oculus® Quest.
In a VR system such as described above, and prior to initiating the VR experience, a user may establish a “boundary” for a play area within a room. As the VR experience proceeds, the system tracks the user's head and controller, and the system can provide visual or other feedback to the user to ensure that the user stays within the defined boundary.
While virtual reality systems as described above provide significant advantages, these systems do not provide for spatially-locating and/or interacting with real (physical) objects within a three-dimensional (3D) space. As such, the action carried out is limited to a representation of a general position of the user, and the user's physical hand motions (e.g., punching) do not necessarily provide the user a real boxing experience.